.

 The only rules that matter are these

What a man can do

What a man can't do 

 

-Wisdom of Captain Jack Sparro 

Another Year

Changing faces

Fallen idols

Unmasked heroes

Silly us

This Great Evil

Where's it come from? 

How'd it steal into the world? 

What seed, what root did it grow from? 

Who's doing this? 

Who's killing us, robbing us of life and light, mocking us with the sight of what we might've known? 

Does our ruin benefit the earth, does it help the grass to grow, the sun to shine? 

Is this darkness in you, too? 

Have you passed through this night?

-Thin Red Line

क्योंकि... ग़ालिब

रही न ताक़त-ए-गुफ़्तार और अगर हो भी 

तो किस उम्मीद पे कहिये कि आरज़ू क्या है

As Time Goes By

Do we know we are in good times or bad times?

Or do we realize that only once the time is past?

I often read history and wonder what people felt then. What were they thinking? How were they feeling?

Why did they do what they did?

How could they? 

Or why didn't they?

We are those people in the history books. 

Just that it will be written in the future.

 

Play it once, Sam

For old time's sake.

Play it, Sam

Another Year

Travels.

Time flying by. 

Changing world. 

Changing us. 

Another Year

Full of changes

Most of them difficult

Big Losses

Minor gains

People

 Two good people left Ola Foods in a couple of days  - Inder and Manisheel.

I've been here for 6 months and most good people have already left the company. 

I've gotten used to people coming and going in life. Mostly it happens in professional environment.

I don't like people leaving.

I still miss the people I shared home with when I first moved out of Jaipur. 

Yet this is something I expect most of the time. 

I also realize that I'm no more the person I was a few years ago. I avoid people. I want to be left alone even when my work involves meeting and dealing with a lot of people.

Mandatory Birthday Post

This blog celebrates its birthday today. 

And I start my new life in Bangalore from today. 

I realize that life will continue to be difficult as it progresses. If there’s one thing I would wish for, it’s the strength to be able to live up to the challenges it throws at me. 

Talking Cricket

I miss talking and discussing about Cricket. I hardly watch it now. It's more of learning the perspective and appreciating the fine art of batting by watching the videos of yesteryears.
It's surprising how well some people are able to articulate their views. I like listening to Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Kumar Sangakkara about their experiences and what they think of the game. I appreciate the commentary of Richie Benaud. Sometimes I watch Youtube videos just to listen to these commentators instead of actually watching the game.
This honest expression of opinion is not going to happen in India where every cricketer lives in the shadow of powerful BCCI.
Maybe that's the general nature of the country where one can't speak truth to power.
Sanjay Manjrekar stands out though. I never understood the hate that is directed at him. He seems to be one person who doesn't mind sharing what is going in his mind - even if it's negative feelings.
I would like to read his book - Imperfect. I am somehow able to relate to the stories that I have read about his career that he has discussed in his book. It presents a much humane side of his personality as against those who have always been politically correct.

Eleven Years

Still there
Still there

I have changed aplenty in the past one year. Much more than I had ever thought I would.

I have become a much more private person - I hardly speak to anyone

I don't travel or go out.

I don't socialize.

I don't read books

I don't watch as many movies.

The above activities used to take up most of my non-office time. Now I don't indulge in any of them.

I have also become wary of my online presence. To come to think of it, someone having access to passwords of my 3 accounts -Google, Facebook, and Amazon can know a lot more about me than I would care to divulge. 

If I were to eat beef, would I be found out by government toadies and hacked to death?

If I made a casual remark about Bal Thackrey in my private chats with a friend, would I be beaten on the streets of Mumbai?

I think online privacy is a far more important and worrisome issue than it is being heeded to. 

****

I watch a lot of Jon Stewart clips on Youtube. What an amazing guy he was!!

Why can't we have someone like him in India who can speak truth to power?

कुछ शहर के लोग भी ज़ालिम थे
कुछ हमें भी मरने का शौक़ था 

Art

is what you live for 

A Poison Tree by William Blake

I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears:
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night.
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.

And into my garden stole,
When the night had veild the pole;
In the morning glad I see;
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

I first read it here 

Normalcy

should not be taken for granted

should not be undermined

might not be a reason to celebrate
but plenty to be thankful for

किताबों पर धूल जमने से कहानी कहाँ बदलती है

I would rather be stupid

and happy ..

I would rather be somewhere else

hence
I'm miserable here

?

Do you seek solace from others' misery?